


kiss later

by boo98 (butter)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Everyone else are still idols, M/M, Model Hyungwon, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 08:35:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9483044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butter/pseuds/boo98
Summary: When Hyungwon first meets him at the hair salon they both go to Hyunwoo seems quiet and, honestly, too boring for a guy with arms that nice.





	

It’s just approaching six in the morning when Hyungwon trudges into the hair salon he always goes to, his manager pushing him forward with one hand on his elbow because Hyungwon’s eyes might as well be completely shut. He’s careful to nod politely at the lead stylist noona, the one with the sharp eyes and tendency to get a bit too close to his ears with the hot flat iron, before collapsing into the makeup chair with a groan.

“It’s too early, hyung, the sun’s not even out yet,” he whines, yawning widely and blinking in the bright light of the salon.

His manager snorts and hunches down in his own chair to wait, phone already pulled out from his coat pocket. “You’ll thank me later when you don’t get chewed out for being late, traffic’s gonna be hell getting to the shoot. You can sleep in the car like always, don’t be a baby.”

Hyungwon pouts pointedly at him but turns back to the mirror, pulling off his cap and shaking out his fringe. His reflection looks back at him – eyes deep-set in dark circles, cheeks and lips puffy from sleep. He tilts his head carefully. Still breaking out in one spot on his jaw. Great. Pulling his face mask up, Hyungwon settles back in the chair as the two stylists click on the flat iron and spray his hair with some kind of floral-smelling product.

If he’s lucky, he figures as he shuts his eyes, he can catch a nap before they have to do his face. The shoot today is with a photographer he’s worked with before and she always liked him extra made-up, which is probably another reason his manager got him up so early. His call time isn’t for another four hours, but it’s always better safe than sorry in this industry.

Hyungwon manages to drift off to the low music playing and the soft conversation of the stylists as they work. He can only have been asleep for maybe fifteen minutes, though, when he shakes awake to the sound of sneakers and a cackling laugh.

“Shut uuup, hyung.”

“You look insane, your hair is going like five different directions right now, what the hell do you do in your sleep to make it look like that?”

“That’s our concept for our next comeback, right? We all go super saiyan?”

“You guys suck.”

Hyungwon blinks and narrowly avoids getting poked in the eye by the lady who has apparently been trying to do his concealer while he was asleep. He turns as much as he can to watch what seems like an unending number of people trail into the salon. There’s at least a dozen of them, a mix of older guys and young women typing on their phones and lugging hanging garment bags.

Leading the charge are six young-looking guys, all puffy coats and big sneakers and snapbacks being pulled off as three of them take seats in front of the mirrors. Idols, Hyungwon realizes, taking in the earrings and dyed hair. Wonderful.

“Don’t bully Jooheon, he’s sensitive.” One of the guys reaches over to ruffle another’s hair, which is bright red and glares against the fluorescents of the salon. “Our Honey, don’t let the mean hyungs make you feel bad, you’re pretty.”

“You’re not helping, Minhyuk,” another one of them shoots over his shoulder, grin wide and gummy. “He has to transform into a tough rapper right now, he can’t be too pretty.”

“He’s always pretty though,” Minhyuk, apparently, croons and pinches the redhead’s cheeks. “Our cute rapper.”

“Ay, so pretty,” one of the others raps in a fairly passable Jessi impersonation, and winces back with a laugh when the redhead shoves him.

Hyungwon doesn’t bother withholding his sigh. He’s not going to get anymore sleep here, obviously.

The woman working on his makeup notices and shoots him a bemused smile. “Those kids have a lot of energy. They used to go to a salon a few blocks over.” She pats on his under-eye concealer and shakes her head. “My friend who works there says they’re cute, but they’re noisy.”

“Uh huh,” Hyungwon grumbles. One of them has spotted him, and is looking over with squinted eyes and a furrowed brow. Or maybe that’s just how he looks all the time, Hyungwon thinks, watching as he leans over to talk lowly in another one’s ear.

The two of them are sitting in the chairs closest to him, the one who was looking at him and the one with the gummy smile from earlier. The gummy one – he’s handsome, and his face is vaguely familiar but Hyungwon can’t quite place it – peeks out to get a better look at him, and Hyungwon watches tiredly as recognition obviously clicks in his mind. He elbows the other guy, who looks hurt, and after a few quick words the two both stand up and shuffle over to his chair.

“Sorry, you’re Chae Hyungwon, right? You were in Dazed last month?” the handsome one asks, head ducked slightly in what looks like an attempt to be polite but is betrayed by a slightly manic gleam in his eye. The other one is standing further back and has his hands shoved in the pockets of his track pants, looking uncomfortable but mostly blank.

“That’s me,” Hyungwon replies, and is proud of himself for sounding only slightly grumpy. “Nice to meet you?”

“Oh,” he says, and bows slightly. “I’m Shin Hoseok, it’s nice to meet you.” Hoseok looks behind him at the other guy and elbows him again, and he starts forward.

“Son Hyunwoo.” He bows too, and Hyungwon takes a second to lazily admire the way his tank top dips down to show his collarbones. “We’re in the group Monsta X, it’s nice to meet you.”

Hyungwon hums. “Did you debut recently? I haven’t seen you here before.”

Hyunwoo and Hoseok exchange a quick look and Hoseok laughs. “About six months ago, actually, so pretty recently. We used to go to a different salon but we got a new manager who had connections here so we get a bit of a discount.”

The conversation back with the rest of their group spikes in volume, and Hyunwoo looks over his shoulder quickly. “Should we…” he mutters to Hoseok, who glances back too and cackles.

“I better go do some damage control before Kihyun kills someone.” He turns back and bows again. “Nice to meet you, Hyungwon-sshi, hopefully we see you again!” With that Hoseok jogs off to sling an arm around one of their members, a small one in a baggy black sweatshirt.

That leaves Hyungwon looking at Hyunwoo, who in turn looks somewhere between lost and just a bit sleepy. The makeup artist pats his shoulder and slips away, probably to grab some product from their back room, and Hyungwon finally takes pity on Hyunwoo. “So, what do you do? In the group?”

Hyunwoo looks at him a bit blankly, but then smiles. It’s almost painfully cute – he has bunny teeth and a slight flush at the tips of his ears, which are both strangely at odds with the muscle definition Hyungwon can tell he has underneath his loose athletic gear. “I sing. I’m the leader, too,” he adds almost as an afterthought, and shrugs slightly. “I’m the oldest, so.”

“How old are you?” Hyungwon asks.

“Uh, I was born in ’92.”

“Oh, you’re older than me.” He smiles sleepily. “I’ll have to look up one of your songs, then.”

Hyunwoo flushes more and grins wider. “Oh, you don’t have to – I mean, that would be cool, if you did, we’re starting promotions right now – um.” He trails off and rubs at the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

Hyungwon nods, and the makeup artist arrives again with a new load of eye products that she drops on the counter. “It was nice to meet you, Hyunwoo-sshi.”

“Same to you,” Hyunwoo bows again a bit jerkily, and then does the same to the makeup artist, who turns red and flaps a hand at him. “Uh, see you again, maybe.” He pauses as if he thinks about saying something else but ends up just waving a hand awkwardly and lumbering back over to his group. Minhyuk slaps him on the back in greeting and they all circle up, still chattering noisily.

Hyungwon sighs a bit and closes his eyes to let the makeup artist tap eyeshadow on his lids. The group on the other side of the salon settles into a low, constant murmur of conversation that eventually blends together, with only scattered outbursts of energy.

Hyungwon finishes far sooner they do, of course, and as he passes by them to leave Hyunwoo looks up and nods. He’s had his makeup done, and his eyes look dark and piercing. “Have a good schedule,” he says politely, and Hyungwon nods back.

“I’ll look up your music,” he says mostly just to see if Hyunwoo will blush again, and is warmly pleased when he does. “Good luck with your comeback.”

The pictorial shoot goes smoothly, as always, and on the ride back Hyungwon takes a second to search ‘Monsta X’ on Naver. They were on a survival show on Mnet, apparently, and Hyungwon scans an article from a few months back on them. At first he’s not sure he has the right group until he realizes that, duh, some of them have stage names.

“Hyung, what do you think about the name ‘Shownu’?” he asks, scrolling through the image search, which is full of a mix of sketchy fansite pictures and official group shots from articles.

“What does that even mean,” his manager grumbles, braking quickly when the light turns red. “Are you using your data responsibly?”

+++

Hyungwon listens to their debut song a few times and even looks up their music video, but has to stop every time it gets to Hyunwoo’s dance section towards the end. His manager has found him several times with his face in his hands, curled up on the couch and laughing helplessly. “Hyung, look at these pants,” he had gasped out, and waved his phone at him. “I love music.”

His schedules continue as usual; a blur of sleeping during hair and makeup, sleeping while waiting for the lights to get set up, and sleeping in the car. He runs into Monsta X in the salon once more about a week later and they’re just as noisy as before, if tinged with a little less of the nervous energy they had the first time he saw them.

“Comeback week’s always the most stressful,” Hyunwoo explains to him, sitting in the chair next to his while the first three of his group members get their hair done on the other side of the room. “Now that that’s over the other guys are a little more relaxed.”

“Are you not? More relaxed, that is,” Hyungwon asks. He has his eyes shut to let the stylist apply his eyeliner, so he doesn’t see Hyunwoo move but he can still hear the squeaking of him shifting in his chair.

“I dunno, I guess I am.” There’s a pause. “It’s still important to show our best stages, even if this isn’t the first impression anymore. It’s good for the others to not be so nervous, but we still have to do well.”

“Of course you do,” Hyungwon blinks open his eyes and looks over at Hyunwoo. He’s perched on the edge of the chair like he’s liable to dart away any second, and it looks almost comical for a guy that muscly to look so similar to a bird. “I figure it’s kind of like me, too. I got signed as a model, like, almost two years ago, but all it takes is one photographer to think I’m too hard to work with and then poof.” He wiggles his fingers. “There goes all that work.”

Hyunwoo nods slowly. Everything he does seems carefully thought out and executed, from the way he always looks so focused and serious to the glances Hyungwon has gotten of him practicing one of their dances in the back of the salon. “Yeah, that’s basically what it feels like. Only, we haven’t even been around that long. We’re still rookies, so… that’s hard.”

“Yah, hyung,” one of the members interrupts as he bounces over, hood pulled up tight around his face. “Why are you being so antisocial? We miss you.” He sits up on the empty makeup counter in front of the chair Hyunwoo’s sitting on and looks curiously at Hyungwon. “Oh, it’s Hoseok’s idol. Nice to meet you.”

Hyunwoo slaps the other boy on the thigh but they both ignore Hoseok’s squawk that echoes from back with the rest of the group. “Be polite, Changkyun, he’s a sunbae.”

“I don’t know if I really count,” Hyungwon interrupts quickly, waving a hand. “I’m not a singer, I just show off my face.”

“Yeah,” Changkyun says, and nudges Hyunwoo’s thigh with the toe of his sneaker. “We’re probably gonna hang out all the time getting our hair done, we should be friendly.”

“You haven’t even introduced yourself yet.”

Changkyun ignores Hyunwoo and nods at Hyungwon instead, expression determined. “Lim Changkyun, nice to meet you. Hoseok-hyung keeps a picture of you in a cologne ad on our dresser. He, like, _really_ wants to get a modeling sponsorship soon.”

Hyungwon snorts. “Nice to meet you too. Tell him he has a good face, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“See,” Changkyun prods Hyunwoo again, who has one hand over his eyes like he wants to disappear. “We can just be friends.”

“You can call me hyung, if you want,” Hyungwon says, mostly to play along with Changkyun. “Since we’re gonna be seeing each other all the time, you know.”

Changkyun nods, looking completely serious, and points at Hyungwon. “You’re the best hyung already, I can tell.” He hops back off the counter and pats Hyunwoo gently on the back. “It was nice to meet you. Watch our performances well, ok?”

“Sure,” Hyungwon waves as Changkyun trots back over to sling an arm around the redhead’s shoulders. He huffs out a laugh and looks back at Hyunwoo, who still looks like he wants to die. “He seems fun.”

“He’s the least obedient maknae ever,” Hyunwoo groans, but his mouth is tilted up in a smile at the corners.

“Does this mean I should call you hyung, then?” Hyungwon asks, grinning at Hyunwoo, who looks a little struck. “If that’s alright, I mean.”

“Um, sure, if you want to.” Hyunwoo shrugs awkwardly, but is still smiling. “I’m sorry in advance about our group, we’re kind of… loud. All the time.”

“I got that,” Hyungwon stretches his legs out in front of him and hears his knees crack loudly. “I feel bad; you always have to wait around for everyone else to be finished. That must take a lot of time.”

“Eh, it could be worse. We used to share a dressing room for music shows with a group that has thirteen members.”

“That’s insane.”

They chat for a little while longer but soon enough Hyungwon finishes up. As his manager talks to the hair stylist quickly and Hyungwon carefully brushes his fingers through his fringe, Hyunwoo make a soft noise.

“Um,” he folds his hands together between his knees. “Would you mind – do you want to swap messenger ID’s?” He continues when Hyungwon just blinks at him. “We don’t have phones right now, but we use our laptops to chat sometimes.” He flushes a bit, but smiles charmingly in his way that Hyungwon is quickly becoming familiar with. “It’s nice talking to you.”

“You too, hyung.” Hyungwon lifts his hips off the chair to pull his phone out of his back pocket, and his stomach warms just slightly when he catches Hyunwoo’s eyes glance down before looking quickly back up at his face. “Here, I’ll add you right now.”

+++

_7:35_

This is Hyungwon!

_22:25_

Hello, this is Hyunwoo.

_22:27_

Sorry, we just got back to the dorm.

_22:28_

Hope your schedule went well.

_22:50_

That’s a long day, hyung. I would be dead tired if that was me, kk.

_22:51_

The shoot was fine. It’s always kind of boring, since it’s just me and my manager.

_22:54_

I’m sure things are probably more interesting with your group.

_23:05_

I guess so. They’re noisy, but it’s fun.

_23:07_

Oh, sorry, I won’t keep you up if you’re going to sleep.

_23:10_

It’s fine! I don’t have to wake up until 9 tomorrow, it’s basically a vacation.

_23:17_

Woooah. That’s nice.

+++

It may have been awhile but Hyungwon’s not blind, is the thing. He has the afternoon off a few days later and he flips through the channels on the TV for a few minutes before eventually giving in and switching over to SBS. He settles back on the couch for the first performances, half watching and half texting one of his friends from school, and he almost misses Monsta X’s song introduction.

He notices just in time, and straightens up to watch. It’s a little weird, seeing them all in full makeup, but it’s nothing Hyungwon isn’t somewhat used to. They’re good – Kihyun, the short one he never really talked to was a good singer, and Changkyun somehow managed to look cool on stage.

And Hyunwoo – well. Hyungwon has known for a while that he kind of has a type. But so what, what’s wrong with liking guys with a bit of muscle? Or a lot of muscle, he muses, eying the thickness of Hyunwoo’s thighs and how broad his shoulders look in the jacket he’s wearing.

Their performance finishes and Hyungwon taps his phone against his leg, thinking. Eventually he gives up and opens his messenger app.

_12:35_

You all looked good on Inkigayo! I watched it well ^^

He drops his phone back on his lap and tips his head back against the arm rest of the couch. He… may be a bit of an idiot.

+++

_22:14_

You watched it? Thanks for your support.

_22:15_

Sorry, if you were sleeping.

_22:20_

You need to stop saying that, hyung.

_22:21_

It was really good!

_22:22_

Kihyun-sshi is a great singer.

_22:30_

Haha, I told him you said that and he’s really happy.

_22:32_

I’m glad you liked our stage ^^

_22:40_

I don’t really keep up with music these days, so it was good to listen to you guys.

_22:43_

Do you not like music?

_22:45_

No, I do, but mostly older stuff and Western pop.

_22:46_

My manager plays girl groups sometimes in the car?

_22:48_

I can send you some songs, if you want.

_22:50_

If you have time to listen to them, that is!

_22:51_

Don’t feel obligated to, or anything.

_23:05_

That would be nice, hyung. Thanks ^^

+++

Soon enough it’s the end of year music awards, and Hyungwon’s never at the salon at the same time as the Monsta X guys. From what he can tell from the quick conversations he has with Hyunwoo they’re barely sleeping these days, staying out til three in the morning for performances and then going right back to the salon at five.

For his part, Hyungwon picks up a few extra shoots for Lunar New Year magazine specials. He dyes his hair a lighter brown, and his trainer finally ramps up his meal plan in an attempt to pack any weight on him at all.

“I know you, all you do is eat and sleep and yet we just can’t get you any heavier,” she likes to scold him fondly while spotting him at his workouts.

“I’m just too delicate,” he wheezes back, halfway through a set of leg curls that already make him want to die. “Don’t try to ruin my ladylike figure.” He grunts when she slaps him on the shoulder.

“There’s nothing ladylike about you, you brat. Keep it up, I have girl groups who lift twice what you’re doing right now, and they don’t whine the whole time.”

That night, Hyungwon’s manager texts him an updated schedule for the next week. There’s a new advertisement shoot halfway through it for his jeans sponsorship, and his manager added a sticker with a thumbs up next to the timeslot for it. He’s just read the text and had time to wonder when the heck his manager learned how to download sticker packs when his message tone dings again.

_21:40_

Hyungwon! I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.

_21:42_

Hope you’ve been well.

_21:45_

Hey, hyung. Yeah, you too, what’s up? When am I seeing you?

_21:48_

The shoot next Thursday? Unless you can’t make it, which I understand, I’m sure you’re very busy this time of year and everything.

_21:51_

The Levi shoot? You guys are going to be there?

_21:53_

I mean, I’m excited! Just, my manager didn’t tell me.

_21:55_

Oh, yeah, they offered us a sponsorship a few weeks ago.

_21:57_

They thought it’d be a good idea to do a shoot partnering with you, since you’re so recognizable for them already.

_22:01_

Aww, so I’m famous now?

_22:03_

What about the MAMA award-winning group Monsta X, I hear they’re pretty cool.

_22:07_

Haha. It’ll be nice to see you though, we’ve been too busy to catch up.

_22:12_

Same to you, hyung.

_22:14_

I’ve been listening to your song recommendations well~

+++

“See, I said you all wouldn’t have trouble finding brand sponsors.” Hyungwon claps Changkyun on the back as he greets him, grinning sleepily. “Welcome to the modeling world.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Changkyun looks around at the set, eyes wide. “Hoseok-hyung’s freaking out a bit, I think. He won’t stop working on his abs.”

“Wow, shirtless on the first go-round?” Hyungwon shakes his head and looks over at Hoseok, who’s on the ground by the cluster of chairs that comprises the waiting area doing a round of quick crunches. “You guys are brave.”

“Oh, not me.” Changkyun slaps his stomach. “No way is that happening. It’s just Hoseok and Hyunwoo-hyung, the rest of us are way too soft for that.”

“Oh.” Like magic, Hyungwon glances over just in time to see Hyunwoo appear from the dressing rooms. He’s in a pair of dark jeans and not much else, skin warm and slightly shiny across the muscles of his chest.

He’s barefoot, and he pads over to the two of them. “Morning,” he starts, and he seems completely comfortable with the fact that he’s half naked.

If Hyungwon didn’t know that his makeup artist had layered on the foundation this morning, he would be worried about his flustered blush showing through. As it is, he just makes an awkward, half-aborted wave motion. “Good to see you guys again.”

Hyunwoo nods and looks around the set, hands on his hips. “This is kind of an intimidating set up,” he says lowly.

Hyungwon looks around. “Is it? It shouldn’t be that different from, like, your album photoshoots, right?”

Hyunwoo tilts his head, considering. “Yeah. It’s just weird, working with all different staff. But I guess you’re used to it, right?”

“I guess.” Hyungwon looks over at the lead photographer, who’s talking quickly to his and one of Monsta X’s managers. “We should be starting soon, though.”

They do, and it cycles fairly smoothly through the Monsta X members first. Hyungwon sits in an uncomfortable folding chair in between Hyunwoo and one of the members, Minhyuk, and spends awhile pretending to be asleep while the others chatter amongst each other.

It’s… it’s weird, being at a shoot with so many other people. He’s worked with other models before, obviously, even a handful of actors on CF’s and things like that, but he’s never been close with them. He was the most successful model signed under his agency, so he got toted back and forth from schedules with really only his manager and maybe a stylist noona for company.

This is different. This is listening to Jooheon argue with Minhyuk about a fight they had last night over a few rounds of Overwatch, and letting Changkyun bully his way into sitting next to him and leaning on his shoulder. This is accepting a bite of rice from Hyunwoo’s lunch box when one of their managers passes out the food they ordered for them, even though he has his own perfectly good food for himself. It’s loud, and busy, and he doesn’t get to nap very much, but… it’s nice.

“Hyungwon?” He perks up, blinking sleep from his eyes. “You’re on deck, you and Shownu-sshi.”

Hyunwoo straightens up next to him as well and shrugs off the thin jacket that he had been wearing while they waited. They head over to the set, where Kihyun is looking over his last round of photos. Hyungwon watches the other two talk in low tones to each other, Kihyun looking slightly worried, as a handful of makeup artists touch up his makeup and fluff his hair up with a comb.

“Go ahead and just do it casually,” the photographer says, fiddling with his lens and watching the lighting director move some of the reflectors around. “We’re going to shoot you two together, it’ll be a nice contrast.”

Hyungwon swallows and glances over at Hyunwoo, who looks as unruffled as always. “Sounds good.”

“Hyungwon, let’s get you sitting on the stool,” the director mutters, gesturing to the production assistant who squats and flips on a small fan by the base of the lights. “Shownu-sshi, stand behind him slightly. Make it look casual, like you’re close. Girls should see this and want their boyfriends to look like this.”

Smirking slightly, Hyungwon heaves himself down onto the thin-legged stool on the set and stretches his legs in front of him. He knows his body, he knows the awkward, dissonant angles to make with his knees and elbows to look skinny and doll-like, as if he’s barely an animate object at all.

He’s focusing a bit too much on the pout of his lips and the exact way he tilts his head down to make his eyes look bigger to notice when Hyunwoo steps behind him, just slightly, and spreads a warm hand along the curve of his shoulder blades.  

“Alright?” Hyunwoo mutters under his breath, and Hyungwon barely nods before the lead photographer straightens up and jerks his chin at them, lifting the camera up to start.

Hyungwon lets out a quick breath but manages to center himself again, shoulders just slightly hunched to draw his collarbones out, birdlike. He feels goosebumps prickle out down his arms when Hyunwoo steps slightly closer and slips his hand further forward to press along where his neck meets his shoulder.

“Good, keep it moving,” the photographer mumbles over the noise of the pop song that drones in the background over the speakers, and Hyungwon tucks one leg in and grasps the edge of the stool with a hand. Hyunwoo shifts his weight so he’s basically next to Hyungwon now, and his hand moves up to curl his fingers through the hair at the base of Hyungwon’s neck.

His skin is warm and dry, and it rasps pleasantly against Hyungwon’s scalp in a way that only serves to make him think of other ways he might feel Hyunwoo’s hand in his hair like this. He staunchly ignores the thought and, after a quick glance up to see how focused Hyunwoo looks, reaches his arm out to wrap around his waist, tucking his hand into the front pocket of his jeans on the other side of him.

Hyunwoo jerks just slightly but stays professionally calm, and Hyungwon would give him mental bonus points if he wasn’t so focused on keeping his hand just far enough to the side of Hyunwoo’s thigh. The shutters go off a few times, and Hyungwon gives in and tilts his head so it falls to rest against Hyunwoo’s hip, eyes half-shut and heavy-lidded.

They stay like that for a few seconds, Hyunwoo shifting slightly for different angles. “Great,” the photographer finally says, and lowers the camera to tilt his head at them. “Let’s get rid of the stool, Hyungwon, you stand behind Hyunwoo this time.” There’s a rapid shuffle as an assistant grabs the stool and heaves it off to the side, and Hyungwon shifts awkwardly before finding a place just over the back of Hyunwoo’s shoulder.

“Put your hand back – yeah, like that,” as Hyungwon gingerly slips his hand back into Hyunwoo’s front pocket. Hyunwoo shifts his weight back so that he’s leaning just slightly into Hyungwon, and Hyungwon dizzily admires the way his stomach flexes when he brings one arm up to run through his hair.

They’re really close. Hyungwon’s not a rookie; he understands the things that photographers like to see might be uncomfortable sometimes, but this is almost too much. He follows the photographer’s direction and dips in to lean his chin against Hyunwoo’s shoulder, eyes almost closed, and it’s honestly really unfair how good Hyunwoo smells. His skin looks warm and golden against the lighting of the studio, a stark contrast to the way Hyungwon’s pale arm stretches to reach his front pocket.

The shutters have been going off so constantly that it’s a bit of a shock when they stop. “Nice,” the photographer mutters, lowering the camera to look over at them. “We’ll review the pictures but you both are done.”

Hyungwon feels like he just got out of a sauna, dizzy and a little disoriented. They move apart quickly and Hyunwoo glances over, eyebrows furrowed. “Alright?”, he says again, in the quiet way of speaking he has that Hyungwon has somehow become really fond of.

“Yeah,” he shakes his bangs out and runs a hand through his hair a few times. “Yeah, um, good job.”

“You too,” and crap, Hyunwoo looks maybe even more concerned now, as they walk over to peer at the computer monitors that are running through their takes.

Hyungwon looks at the pictures and makes affirming noises every now and then but he feels like he doesn’t see anything, really. The thing is, somewhere between first meeting Hyunwoo and now, this thing that started as a casual admiration of celebrity muscles turned into… something else. Something bigger.

Shit, he thinks to himself, as his manager points to the screen and makes a comment about something. Hyunwoo texts him goodnight like, every other day. Hyunwoo basically made him a _mixtape_. Hyungwon might as well be a teenage girl, crushing on any hot guy that shows him a bit of attention. Is this because he lives alone? Has he become a total social hermit, and now this is what he has to show for it?

He jolts out of his thoughts when Hyunwoo touches him lightly on the wrist and fuck if that isn’t a bad sign, that it only took one movement to get him to snap out of it. “It was good working with you,” he says and smiles and shows off those bunny teeth and Hyungwon really, really wants to kiss him.

+++

The ads turn out well. Of course they do. They end up picking a shot of Hyungwon and Hyunwoo where they’re both standing, legs almost intertwined from where Hyungwon stands behind him, fingers tucked through a belt loop and face almost entirely in Hyunwoo’s neck. It makes Hyungwon burrow himself in embarrassment into his huge coat and scarf when his manager passes him a copy to look over in the car on the way to another shoot weeks later.

The shoot gets him some interesting attention from a select group of Monsta X fans, too. They follow him on Instagram and comment long strings of emojis when he posts a selfie he took with Minhyuk at the salon once. More than a few have a habit of tweeting at him with not much more than his name, Hyunwoo’s stage name, and a half dozen crying faces. He’s still not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

Hyungwon’s in the passenger seat of the company car, half-dozing after a long pictorial shoot that took almost the entire day when his phone buzzes against his thigh. He’s ready to leave it at first until it keeps going, and he realizes it’s a phone call. When he checks it it’s an unknown Seoul number, but he picks it up anyways.

“Hello?”

“Hyungwon!”

“Hyunwoo-hyung?” It is him – he sounds tired, voice gravely, but it still makes Hyungwon’s stomach go warm and pleased. He slumps down in his seat and ignores the glance his manager throws his way. “What’s going on?”

“Um, sorry, this is my manager’s phone – I just wanted to, uh, say hi?” There’s the brief sound of a scuffle from the other side of the line, and Hyungwon thinks he hears someone – Jooheon? – yell something muffled.

“Hi, hyung.” He grins sleepily. “Everything alright over there?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s fine.” There’s a pause, and Hyungwon can practically picture the way Hyunwoo goes all quiet and focused while he’s planning his next words. “I, um, was wondering, do you have any free time next week?”

Hyungwon can’t say he was expecting that. He mentally goes through his schedule quickly, bouncing his foot against the car floor. “I have a shoot on Wednesday but I should be finished with that by nine maybe. My next thing isn’t until Thursday afternoon, then. Why?”

“Would you want to get dinner or, uh, or something, on Wednesday? We’re getting the night free, and, I guess, it’d be cool to see you. Like, outside of work.” There’s a far-away cackle from the other side of the line and then a low grunt. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine,” Hyungwon replies before he can think. “Um. That would be cool, would that – like, work?”

Hyunwoo chuckles warmly. “I’m not really that famous, yet. If I wear a hat I’m usually fine, and it’ll be late anyways. If that’s ok?”

“Yeah, sure. Um. Sounds good?”

They hammer out some of the details – Jooheon has a restaurant close to the salon, which in turn is close to the Monsta X dorm, that he goes to all the time apparently. Hyungwon’s manager is subtle enough to wait five minutes after he hangs up the phone to reach over and pat him a few times on the shoulder.

“I don’t need to chaperone you, right?”

“Hyung,” Hyungwon pouts, but he feels like a pound of butterflies just got released into his stomach, or maybe eels. “I’ll be fine. I’ll even go barefaced, it’s just a meal.”

His manager laughs and veers them to the right. “Uh huh.”

The next few days Hyungwon is a bundle of nerves, and he honestly has no excuse for it. It really is just a meal, it’s nothing, but he catches himself eyeing the acne that seems to be perpetually scattered across his jaw with more frustration than usual. Soon enough it’s Wednesday, and he takes a quick shower before knocking on his manager’s door to let him know he’s heading out.

The restaurant is a quick bus ride over, and Hyungwon manages to make his way there easily with just a hat and face mask. He’s really not that often recognized – it’s usually just younger girls, who know him from school uniform ads, and there’s not too many of them out on the streets this late.

He can’t message Hyunwoo to let him know he’s on his way but it turns out to be unnecessary anyways, because the other boy’s already there when Hyungwon finally finds the small store. He moves as if he’s about to stand up when he spots him enter which, honestly, is just ridiculous, so Hyungwon heads over and quickly sits across from him before he can manage to get up.

“Hey hyung,” he says, pulling his facemask down. “How’re things?”

Hyunwoo grins and settles back down, legs crossed. He looks handsome – even in a ratty baseball hat and a sweatshirt, barefaced with dark circles under his eyes, he manages. It’s just unfair. “Pretty good. This is our first free night in a while, so. That’s nice.”

Hyungwon hums, surprised. “And you wanted to spend it with me? I’m flattered.” He makes a show of batting his eyes at Hyunwoo and it earns him a rough laugh. “But really, you could’ve just relaxed, or seen your family or something. I’ll see you at hair and makeup sometime soon, I’m sure.”

Hyunwoo shrugs and waves the owner ahjumma over. “Sure, but don’t you think it’s nice to just get away from work? Besides, Jooheon says this place is really good, and I haven’t had a chance to come here yet.” He orders for them both, but only after a quick, polite glance to Hyungwon, who flaps a hand at him and leans back.

They chat, and a few minutes later she comes back with side dishes and their beers. Hyunwoo takes his and then seems to realize something, because he looks sharply at Hyungwon. “Ah, sorry, is this ok? You said you have a meeting tomorrow – “

“Aish, it’s fine,” he grumbles, “you sound like my manager. I don’t have to look presentable until like three.”

Hyunwoo laughs lowly, the sound rumbling in the back of his throat. “Ok, sorry, I’m just used to Hoseok I guess. He gets sensitive to alcohol, his face is always swollen the next morning.”

Hyungwon isn’t a lightweight by any means but some combination of the two beers he has, the heat of the restaurant, and the way Hyunwoo keeps looking at him with something soft in his eyes has him going warm all over by the time they finish eating. He bullies Hyunwoo into letting him pay, largely through flirting outrageously with the owner so she just refuses to take Hyunwoo’s card, and they both pull their coats and hats back on before stepping back out into the brisk February air.

They stop at a convenience store, and at some point on the way there Hyunwoo has slipped a hand onto the small of Hyungwon’s back. It’s – nice, but it’s messing with him, and he catches himself leaning close into his side when they stand along the back wall of the quiet store, looking at the ice cream.

“They don’t have the melon kind,” Hyungwon whines, and a thrill moves through his stomach when he pushes a bit harder against Hyunwoo’s side and he doesn’t budge at all. He’s strong. “It’s too cold to eat ice cream if they don’t even have the melon kind.”

“You’re spoiled,” Hyunwoo laughs, and looks at him. They’re close enough that he has to look up, just a bit, and his eyes are warm under the harsh lights of the fluorescents. “What do you want, then?”

Hyungwon has an awful idea. Hyunwoo is really close, though, and warm against his side, and something about that and the way he hasn’t looked away yet gives him a bit too much confidence. The store is empty, and when they walked in the man behind the counter barely looked at them before going back to reading his newspaper. They’re behind several rows of shelves, and Hyungwon is tall but not _that_ tall.

He tips forwards slowly until his forehead gently hits against Hyunwoo’s. Hyunwoo inhales softly and looks at him with wide eyes that cross slightly now, brows heavy and worried. “Hyung,” Hyungwon starts, and he doesn’t think he’s imagining the way Hyunwoo’s hand presses against his back just a bit harder. “Was this a date?”

Hyunwoo’s brows furrow even more, if that was possible, but Hyungwon pulls back just enough to see a blush start to creep in on his cheeks. “Um,” he mutters, low in his chest, “I – I wasn’t planning that.”

“Just,” Hyungwon shrugs slightly, and carefully pulls on the edge of Hyunwoo’s sweatshirt pocket with two fingers, avoiding his eyes now. “I would be cool with that, if it was. For the record.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t respond, and Hyungwon keeps his eyes down. A few seconds tick by. He’s about to carefully step away when Hyunwoo suddenly slips his hand over to grab Hyungwon’s elbow and leans back to stare up at him.

“You – this – “ He looks kind of like he got run over by a truck, but in a good way, if that’s possible.

“Um. Did I break you?” Hyungwon draws out the dumb courage to ask, fingers twitching slightly against the fabric of Hyunwoo’s sweatshirt.

Hyunwoo shakes his head jerkily and then before he can register what’s going on Hyungwon’s being dragged out of the store. Hyunwoo says goodbye to the man at the counter politely, which is really how Hyungwon knows he’s ok, because then they’re bulldozing down the sidewalk until Hyunwoo pulls him down a dark, narrow alley in between a closed fried chicken store and an insurance office.

“I’m sorry, this is, um, really sketchy,” Hyunwoo is babbling as he pulls Hyungwon far enough into the gap between buildings to duck in between two scrappy-looking trees. He gently nudges Hyungwon to press against the wall of the insurance place and it knocks the breath out of him just a bit when he hits the brick. “I just, um, panicked, I think, but – “

Hyunwoo cuts himself off, shakes his head as if trying to clear water out of his ears. When he looks back up at Hyungwon it’s with new focus, and his eyes look almost black in the shadows of the street. He smiles, a little. “Um. Would you mind if – Can I – “

Before Hyunwoo can try to find other words Hyungwon rolls his eyes fondly, leans in, and kisses him. The bills of their hats hit at first but Hyungwon pulls his off, frustrated, and then goes in for another try.

Hyunwoo, for his part, adapts shockingly quick for such an unassuming guy. He presses Hyungwon in close against the brick and pulls him in by the hips with broad hands. They kiss slowly but there’s a warm surge of heat in Hyungwon’s stomach, half because what the hell, how is this happening, and half because Hyunwoo has slipped one hand up under the edge of his sweater to press against his bare hip.

Hyungwon hears himself make a soft noise, which would be embarrassing if it didn’t mean that Hyunwoo replies with a rumbly groan and presses even closer, pushing one thigh between Hyungwon’s. He pulls away to let out a shaky breath against the skin behind Hyunwoo’s ear, suddenly overwhelmed, and Hyunwoo seems to take that as permission to bite at Hyungwon’s earlobe.

“Um, is this – “ Hyunwoo stops to pull back and kiss Hyungwon again, ducking them both in close behind the bare branches of the trees. He tastes like beer and something sweet, and the way he shivers when Hyungwon grinds down against his thigh is endlessly endearing. Hyunwoo breaks the kiss, cheeks red. “Is this ok?”

Hyungwon’s lips are beestung swollen and buzzing. “Yes? Yes. This is really ok, why’d you stop,” he babbles, and it’s the least smooth thing ever but it gets Hyunwoo back and licking into his mouth again.

“You’re so – “ Hyunwoo mumbles, shuddering when Hyungwon nips at his bottom lip and presses against the muscles of his arms. “Um, you know you’re like, a model, right.” It’s not a question, and he covers Hyungwon’s mouth again with his before he can respond.

Hyungwon can’t help but laugh, and it turns into a moan when Hyunwoo unceremoniously grabs his ass through his jeans as if to gently reprimand him. Hyungwon lets Hyunwoo shift his hips, and they both huff out clouds of condensation into the cold air when their dicks grind together through their jeans.

“We should, um,” Hyungwon swallows a whine as Hyunwoo’s hand slips against his bare stomach, along the line of his belt. “Maybe be careful.”

Hyunwoo’s got his mouth against the skin just above Hyungwon’s collar, now, and it’s really distracting but – Hyungwon wants more. And maybe it’s a little dumb, and selfish, but he lets himself pull Hyunwoo up for one more deep kiss before pulling back. They’re both panting, the noise seeming harsh against the gentle noise of cars in the background.

They look at each other for a second, and Hyungwon quietly admires the flush that’s risen up to cover Hyunwoo’s face and ears. He’s hard against Hyungwon’s hip, which is really just very flattering, and Hyungwon forces himself to shift away just a bit more.

“Um,” he says, and his voice sounds shot, throat catching at even that one syllable, “I like you.”

Hyunwoo looks struck and he tightens his grip on Hyungwon’s waist. “I like you too.” He sounds deadly serious. He’s so, so cute, Hyungwon thinks, and it’s awful.

“Ok. Cool.” Hyunwoo smiles at him, bunny teeth and all, and Hyungwon just has to lean in and kiss that smile once. He pulls back and Hyunwoo looks startled all over again. “So. As much as I’d love to let you just fuck me in this alley,” and there he goes, Hyunwoo’s the color of a fire hydrant now, “maybe…we should do this properly? As much as we can, I mean?”

Hyunwoo blinks and clears his throat. “Like… like how?”

“I dunno, like, we can do the whole date thing more? Text? Maybe I’ll suck you off in your dorm sometime.” Hyungwon can’t help but snort unattractively when Hyunwoo shoves him a little for the last comment. “It’s gonna be annoying, the logistics of everything, but, um. I like you.”

A taxi honks when it drives past, a flash of white headlights against the pavement, and it shines against Hyunwoo’s face for a split second. He’s biting his lip, considering, and then seems to come to a decision and dips in for one more kiss before stepping back and straightening his hat.

“D’you want me to walk you to your bus stop, then?” he asks, and Hyungwon is definitely screwed, definitely smitten. It’s alright, though. Even if Hyunwoo is about to get put back on dorm-house arrest and Hyungwon’s manager will probably chew him out for the red stubble burn he can feel itching low on his neck, they’ll see each other at the salon soon.

**Author's Note:**

> And this is my 'Hyungwon ends up a model and Monsta X is a 6 member group' AU! Events of this story start around Hero promotions, about October 2015, and run through early 2016 but I definitely did not refer too closely to 'canon' timelines.
> 
> The M rating is very very light, I just worry about underrating things, and I said the word 'dick' so like I figured better safe then sorry. One day maybe I'll write something less cheesy and sweet but I make no promises.


End file.
